Protector for polyphase electrical machinery.



J. G. CLEMENS.

PROTECTOR FOR POLYPHASE ELECTRICAL MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED DE0.10,V1910.

1,012,599. Patented Dec. 26, 191' J 0' 0701 71/6, I wTau b71301,

fully described.

JOHN G. CLEMENS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK,

. KAISER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK rno'rno'ronron POLYPHASE ELEc'rmoAf. MACHINERY.

particularly for alternating current polyphase motors.

The primary object of myinvent-ion is the production of an apparatus for the purpose described which will protect the motor or other electrical apparatus from running on two phases in case of interruption any one phase in av three-phase motor, thus preventing the burning out of the motor or other apparatus which would occur if althe lowedto run on two phases.

Another object of my invention is provision of an apparatus of this kind, in- 01" ing a switch, whereby in case of interruption of the current on any phase from any reason whatsoever, said switch will open so that the entire current is shut off and the motor stopped; the causes of interruption being among others, loose contacts, lines going down, opening of primary winding of motor, short circuiting, current going oif and coming back suddenly, low voltage, blowing of a fuse, etc. I v A further object of my invention is the provision of means whereby on cessation of the current in one phase, due to the fuse of said phase blowing out, the particular fuse blown can be quickly ascertained by means of an indicator embodied in the construction'of the apparatus.

A still further object of this invention is, the provision of means whereby, when shutting-:iglown the motor, the apparatus will demonstrate to the operator that it is in goodorder; and to further'improve on protectors for polyphase electrical apparatuses, as and in the manner to be hereinafter more The invention primarily consists in a suitable support, a switch having two or more poles, a corresponding number of fuses'and all connected in polyphase circuit, means for holding the switch in closed position so as to close the circuit, and the provision of a secondary circuit control.-

magnetic coils Specification'of Letters Patent. Application filed December 10, 1910. Serial No. 596,661.

ling any of the'phases section taken on line 5-5, Fig.

to become heated and automatically protect which are secured thevarious Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

releasing-means whereby /the switch is opened when for any reason the current in further consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

Inthe drawings,-Figure 1 is a front elevat-ion of my improved protector. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. rear view. Fig. 4 is a on line 4-4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical 1. Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of one of the armatures and its indicating finger.

In three-phase motors as ordinarily used and wired, the blowing of the fuse in any one phase would cause the motor to continue in action on the remaining phases without its being noticed by the attendant or operator, unless he were present at the time the fuse blew out. The running of the motor under such conditions would cause it quickly burned out. Other damaging efiects result from such conditions. My apparatus is intended to the' motor against such conditions and does not require the presence of the attendant or operator, since whe'nl the current in any one of the phases is interrupted, the entire current is broken by the throwing of the main switch, thei terruption of the electrical service will therefore be noticed by the attendant or operator regardless of his presence, so long as he is within reach of the machinery or apparatus driven by the motor, as the stoppage of such machinery or apparatus will assure him that the switch has been thrown out and that his attentio'n'is required to replace the blown fuse with a perfect one, after whij h the apparatus'is' set for further action, as and in the manner to be hereinafter described. v v

Referringnow to the drawings in detail, like letters of refer'ence'refer to like parts inthe several figures.

The apparatus includes a marble slab A Assreivon or own-roam ro FRANK H.

Fig. 3 is avertical section taken is interrupted; and it or other support of insulating material to remaining parts, including the circuit wires. To thisslab, preferably on the front side thereof, I secure three switch terminals B, B B to which are led three wires 12,1), 6 each'carrying one of the three phases. These switch.

D D of a three-pole switch F, said switch" having the upper or outer ends of said blades connected by a cross bar f of insulating material to which is secured a handle F and a rearwardly extending hook f which is adapted for engagement w th a magnetic lock G of common construction secured to the rear side of the slab or support A. i

' The lower or innerends of the switch blades D, D D of the switch F are ivotally secured to brackets H, H H fastened to the slab A and having integrally therewith or in electrical connection therewith, fuse retaining-clips h, h, k in which the upper ends of fuses I, I Pare held, the lower ends or" said, fuses being secured in retaining clips J, J J secured to the front of the slab or support A and in electrical connection with terminals K, K K v fastened to the rear side be the slab A and having wires is, 72 corresponding respectively with the wires Z 6 b and each carrying one ofthe three phases. The wires 25,

P2 72 direct the current from the source of.

electrical supply, while the-wires k, M, 10 lead to magnetic coils L, L L secured to the rear side of the slab or sn port A; and

from these coils Wires Z, Z 2 lead to'the motor or other electrical apparatus. These magnetic coils are used in conjunction. with .armatures M, M, M pivotally mounted on posts m, m m extending rearward from the slab or support. These'coils L, L, L when energized, attract the armatures and hold the same in elevated position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3; and when. thus positioned, they prevent the current passing up to the magnetic lock, which is inengagement with the hook f on the main switch F, thus holding said switch in locked position, in which position the primary circuit is closed.-

The current enters the terminals F, B",

B through the wires 5, b 6- and when the switch is closed, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, it passes through the switch-blades D, D, D and through the fuses I, I I connected therewith. From the said fuses it is directed to the coils L, U, L and from the latter to the motor (not shown) by the wires Z, Z Z

til- 2:

These three phases may be termed the primary circuit and by the passing of the current through the coils L, L L", which are energized thereby, the secondary circuit, to

be presentlydescribed, is broken by reason of the armatures M, M M being held in elevated position. These armatures serve to establish or break the secondary circuit; and with the poles m, m m on which they are mounted, they form a part of the secondary circuit, which is provided tor the purpose of releasing the magnetic lock and disengaged from the sprockets C, C}, G by means of a projector N compr sing a cross bar narranged transversely in front of the slab or support A and mounted on a pair of slide bolts 7Z SCllr$l in opening in the said slab or support and surrounding.which are coil springs 11. bearing with one of their endsagainst said slab or support and with their other ends against the cross bar Said cross bar is made of insulating mate rial to prevent short circuiting from one blade of the switch to another; and when the switch is in closed position and locked by the magnetic lock G, the cross bar is forced rearwai d toward the slab or support with the springs n compressed. lhcrefoi;.. when the lock hook f of the main switch is disengaged from the magnetic lock. the projector N, through the action of the springs n causes the switch to be swung: outward and. the primary circuit broken. For the purpose of limiting the outward .movement of the-projector N, nuts n" are secured to the front ends of the slide bolts n From a suitable point in one of the phases of the apparatus, preferably from the bracket H a wire 0 is led to one terminal of the magnetic lock G, and from the other terminal of said look, a wire is led to one of the terminals of a resistance coil I and in this wire 0 is located a baby knitaswitch Q. From the other terminal of the resistance coil 21 wire is led to three contacts 1t. R R with which the armatures M, M, M are adapted to co-act. The poles 110, 11a, m on which said armalurcs are pivot-ally mounted, are connected with one of the. phases of the circuit, preferably with the bracket H, by means of a wire S. The seccndary circuit which releases the magnetic lock therefore starts from one of the phases above the fuses, passes through the magnetic lock G, then through the baby li'nit'eswitch Q, next through the resistance coil to the contacts R, R 1t", beneath them-ma tures, then across the armatures when in contact Withsaid contacts to another phase of the current. These parts therefore coir stitute the secondary circuit.

Formed in theslab or supportA are open ingsT, T T, one for each phase and formed on or attached to the armntures )1, M M are indicating fingers 5', respectively; these indicating fingers being directed downwardly from the free ends of the armatures, thence forwardly through the openings T, '1, T and finally laterally to provide indicating points which lie in front of the slab or support. When the armatures are attracted by the magnetic lVhen this loch-hook is ill) for any reason the current in any one of the phases is interrupted, the I corresponding armature gravitates, consequently moving the indicating finger into a lower position;-

or in the event of the entire current being interrupted, all of the indicating fingers will be lowered.

The high oltage used in the primary. cit

'cuit is not suitable for operating the magnetic lock, and therefore I introduce the redrawn up,

sistance coil in the secondary circuit to re-.

duce thevoltage and make the currentsuitable in the intended' When starting a motor with which this apparatus may-be connected, the

baby knife switch Q is left open and it is simply necessary to close the main switch, which then feeds the current through the fuses 1,1 1 and coils L, L L to the motor. The coils are therefore energized by the flow of the current therethrough, which sets up a magnetic flux strong enough to draw up the armatures M, M M located beneath'them. After these armatur'es are the baby knife-switch should be closed. The secondary circuit'is therefore closed except at the armatures. 1f the current should fail in any of the phases, the magnetic flux in the cooperating coil, is cut ofi', allowing the corresponding armature to drop. By the dropping of the armature, the secondary circuit is closed permitting the current to flow through the secondary circuit and release the magnetic lock. The

lock-hook f of the main switch is thereupon disengaged and the projector N causes the main switch to swing outward, thus breaking both the primary and secondary circuits. In this manner, the motor or other electrical apparatus is fully protected against all circuit troubles.

When the mainswitch is thrown out in the manner described by reason of the blowing of a fuse, all the armatures drop and in order to ascertain in which phase the current is interrupted, it is simply necessary to open the baby knife-switch Q and close the main switch F. This opens the secondary circuit and closes the circuits of all three phases at-the main switch, thus drawing up I the armatures and indicators in the un1uter-.

rupted phases while the armature and the indicator in the phase in trouble remains in lowered position. Examination of the indicating-fingers will therefore disclose which fuse has been blown out, making it unnecessary to remove more than one fuse from its retaining clip, since the indicating-finger on the armature found lowered will show that the corresponding fuse if any has been blown out. If, however, there is an interruption in any one the phases from some secondary circuit for the purpose .my improved protector.

other cause, the corresponding indicating finger will be lowered and upon the operator removing the fuse in that particular phase and replacing the sa'mewith a new one, he finds that the trouble has not been remedied, it will indicate that the removed fuse is serviceable and may be used without refilling and that the trouble in that particular phase lies elsewhere. It is apparent from the foregoing that interruption of the current in any of the phases or of the entire current will immediately cause the mainswitch to be thrown out, due to the lowering of. one or more of the arm atures,.thus establishing a current through the secondary circuit; also that any trouble which would injure the motor or other electrical apparatus isguarded against by the use of When the entire current isscut out to stop the motor, the main switch is automatically thrown out by the current created by the motor itself, due to the rotation of the armature by momentum, thus showing at the time the motor is stopped that the protector is in perfect working order. Usually, starting-boxes are employed in connection with motors so that upon supplying the motor with current, the full voltage thereof cannot rush into the motor and injure the same. Therefore, when the current is shut of]? suddenly, the main switch is automatically thrown out as hereinbefore described, and the motor'cannot be actuated on the return of the current until after said main switch is closed. The c tierator before closing the switch will manipulate the starting bOX', so that when the switch is closed, the current will be directed through the starting side of the starting-box instead of through the running side thereof, thus guarding against the full voltage of the, current rushing into the motor.

My invention is susceptible to many changes and modifications and may also be applied to different. phase electrical "machinery without departing from the principle involved.-

Having thus described my invention, what actuate the magnetic-lock and release the switch, means for indicating in which phase the current has failed, said means b ing operated to indicate, by actuation of said switch, and means for causing the switch to open when released fromsaid magnetic-lock.

2. A protector for polyphase electrical machinery, comprlsing a support, a primary o a secondery circuit including lock adapted to hold said switch 1n closed Corrections in tenets Patent are i ,05 2,59%;

circuit including a switch mounted on saidsupport and having a switch-blade in each phase, also including a, fuse and a. magnetic coil in each phase secured to said support,

a magneticposition, a resistance coil, and an armature for cooperation with each magnetic-coil off the primary circuit,'seid ermetures being switch after. being automatically opened, each,

movable between contacts in the secondary 1,012,&99

armature being attracted by its cooperating magnetic-coil and adapted to engage the cooperating contact in the secondary circuit upon failure ofcurrent in the corresponding phase of the primary circuit, and a spring actuated device for forcing the switch into open position when released from the magnetic-bloek'.

in testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature in the subscribing witnesses.

- JOHN G, CLEMENS. Witnesses:

EMIL NEU'HART,

ELLA C. PLUEOKHAHN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Coinmissioher of Patents,

' Washington, E. G. Y

of the case in the Patent Ofice.

[SEAL it is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,012,599, granted December 26, 1911,11pon the application of John G. Clemens, of Bufialo, New York, for an improvement in Protectors for Polyphese Electrical Machinery, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 2, lines lend 70, for the word sprockets reed sprz'cicets; and page &, lines 22-23, for the compound wordmegnetic-block reed magnetic-[0070, and that the seid Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record Signed and sealed this 23d day of January, A. 1)., 1912,

c. c. BiLLiNGs,

Acting Gammissoner of Patents presence of two 

